


like 1 2 3

by doitsushine92



Series: Dreamies A/B/O [10]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: A/B/O verse, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Bullying, Fluff, Friendship, Guess Who's Back, Hurt/Comfort, I regret everything, M/M, Polyamory, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-08-22 21:14:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16605566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doitsushine92/pseuds/doitsushine92
Summary: donghyuck has a problem, which he doesn't tell anyone about, and mark and renjun find out in the worst way.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> so uh. yeah. this happened.
> 
> me: i wanna write renmarkhyuck  
> me: but i dont have the time  
> me: let's write renmarkhyuck in the dreamies series and hope no one notices

Betas are, for the most part, the wolves with the least prominent scents. While alphas smell strongly of spices and nature and omegas smell like sweet things – see: cotton candy and cinnamon –, betas are usually milder scents, with lavender or chocolate the most popular ones. There’s rarely anything that can cause a beta’s scent to flare up, considering they don’t have ruts or heats for the most part (and those who do are extremely rare – something like one in a thousand, or so Jeno remembers from health class) and they are usually level-headed enough to keep their emotions in check. Even Donghyuck, who wears his heart on his sleeve, has a scent that is only ever noticeable for those closest to him.

This is why, when Jeno arrives to Donghyuck’s Uni to pick him up after his last class, he’s shocked to notice his scent is alarmingly strong. It’s common knowledge that, if you spend a lot of time with someone, their scent will become ingrained in your brain and you’ll be able to pick it out in a crowd, but this isn’t normal in the slightest. 

There’s also the fact that Donghyuck is distracted the entire ride, mumbling quietly his monosyllabic answers to all of Jeno’s questions, and he flinches in his seat when Jeno tries to put an arm around his shoulders at the red light.

“Hyuck?” Jeno eyes him carefully, half his mind on the road. Donghyuck won’t look back at him, and instead picks at his nails. “What happened? You’re not being yourself.”

“Its fine,” Donghyuck whispers. “Just keep driving, Jeno-yah.”

Jeno doesn’t want to, because he doesn’t like Donghyuck holding things back when he could perfectly talk about it with him, but the cars behind them are already honking their impatience. Jeno can tell Donghyuck makes an effort for the rest of the drive to pretend everything is alright, but Jeno wouldn’t be Jeno if he couldn’t pick up on the downturn of his lips.

Donghyuck’s house is empty when they pull up on the driveway. Jeno can’t stay with him as he wants to because he has a report due tonight, but he has to make sure Donghyuck knows he’s available to talk anytime he wants. Jeno grabs Donghyuck’s wrist to prevent him from escaping the car – Jeno knows that’s exactly what he wants -, but he wasn’t expecting Donghyuck to jerk away violently, his eyes wide and terrified.

It feels like a punch to the gut. Donghyuck is scared, _scared of him, Jeno_ , and that is the worst thing Jeno could have ever imagined. Jeno stares at Donghyuck’s wrist and at his own hand, completely bewildered.

“Sorry,” Donghyuck whispers, shaking his head in a daze. “I have to go. I love you, Jeno-yah,” he adds, offering him a tiny smile before nearly running out of the car and into his house.

Jeno doesn’t move for another ten minutes, trying to understand what just happened. 

~

University took them all in different directions, the only thing in common that they stayed in Seoul. Renjun and Mark are attending Yonsei, Renjun in Med school and Mark as a Sound Engineering major; Yukhei is in Seoul National with his scholarship studying System Engineering, and Jaemin too, except he’s in Law school instead. Jeno was accepted into a dance academy that offers academic courses and a license in a handful of careers, including Online Marketing, while Donghyuck is in University of Korea to get his degree in Education.

In spite of their clashing schedules and universities locations, they manage to keep in touch as often as possible, hanging out whenever they have the time – even if it’s just two people and they can only hang out for an hour before one of them has to run to class or work. To make things harder, some of them chose night or afternoon shifts instead of morning ones for their classes, something about working early and studying late. Jaemin, for instance, has afternoon-evening classes starting at 2pm.

Tonight Jaemin is free after 8pm, and he decides to pay Donghyuck a visit, considering the worrisome conversation he had with Jeno earlier today; Jeno kept rambling about Donghyuck’s scent being too strong and flinching when Jeno tried to touch him. Jaemin hasn’t had the chance to talk to Donghyuck in the month since they started Uni, or at least nothing further than short conversations on KakaoTalk between one class and another, a few and far spread out phone calls at night in the time Jaemin has getting from Uni to his place. It’s not the ideal way of keeping a relationship, but Jaemin is sure that once they get into the groove of things they’ll be back to normal.

Jaemin shows up at Donghyuck’s house a little before 9, armed with an extra-large bag of chips and the biggest grin he could possibly muster, kind brown eyes warming at the sight of his boyfriend. Donghyuck’s hair is a mess – he was probably taking a nap, as he does – and he’s tried to cover it up with a hoodie, dark bags under his eyes. They look old, like he hasn’t slept in days and the tiredness has piled up above his cheekbones. If Jeno didn’t mention it, it’s got to be because Donghyuck hoards makeup like it’s his job and can cover up every little detail he deems necessary. 

“Nana,” Donghyuck says, bewildered and even a little hesitant. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey babe,” Jaemin smiles even wider, pushing his way inside the house. “I’ve missed you so I thought I’d come by, spend some time with you. We could watch a movie or –”

“Did Jeno send you here?” Donghyuck interrupts him. Jaemin startles at the sharpness of his tone, as he wasn’t expecting Donghyuck to react this way. Jaemin opens his mouth to reply, maybe to defend Jeno and himself, but Donghyuck beats him to the punch: “Cause if he did, you can tell him to hop off my dick. I’m fine, got it?”

Jaemin raises a single eyebrow at Donghyuck’s outburst. “You don’t sound fine,” he points out. “And you don’t look like it, either. Yes, Jeno talked to me, because he’s worried about you. But he didn’t tell me to come here, I decided to do it because you’re my boyfriend, and I love you. So quit whining and come cuddle with me on the couch.”

They have a stare down that lasts for almost a full minute. Jaemin keeps his gaze calm, steady, doesn’t convey anything in fear Donghyuck will kick him out, while Donghyuck is nearly glowering at him, his jaw tense and locked in place. Finally, Donghyuck’s shoulders loose some of the tension they had and he sighs, pursing his lips as he says, “Fine, but no talking and no asking about my feelings, alright?”

“Alright,” Jaemin concedes. Donghyuck doesn’t stop huffing and scowling the whole way to the couch, but he lets Jaemin envelop him in a tight hug, and he doesn’t protest when Jaemin nuzzles into his neck and leaves short kisses on the skin there.

~

As far as Renjun is concerned, med school is about three things, and three things only: focus, resistance and kindness. Focus to keep his head straight at all times and his eyes on the prize, which is being a successful brain surgeon; resistance to endure the long days and nights of studying and practicing, especially once he starts rotations in a few years; and kindness to work with patients, to have the touch and words to help them through the roughest parts of life.

This is what his aunt, a renowned psychiatrist, taught him, and it is what Renjun believes in. Renjun spends the first few weeks of class carefully assessing everyone on his shift, checking who seems to have all three traits and who doesn’t. There are only two kids that Renjun thinks will make great doctors, because everyone else either lacks one, or two, or all three. One of them, Chaeyeon, has the focus and the resistance, but Renjun honestly doesn’t see her working with people – in a lab, maybe, as a researcher, but not in a consult room. 

After a month, Renjun can safely say he’s made two groups of friends: there’s the people he likes talking to, and the people he likes working with. Of course he likes talking to the formers, too, but he has more things in common with the first group. He and Mark have the morning shift and their schedules allow them both free hours every Monday and Thursday between 8am and 9am, plus not-so-early Tuesday classes at 8am that they drive together to. They ride home together too, with Mark at the wheel because Renjun is, in Donghyuck’s words, your stereotypical gay who can’t drive, and so he doesn’t have a driver’s license. 

“Hyung, do you think you could drop me off at Hyuck’s Uni?” Renjun asks distractedly, double and triple checking his book bag to make sure he’s got the video beam safely put away. He’s never hated being in charge of things, or to be seen as the responsible one in class, but handling such equipment has him on edge.

“Yeah, sure,” Mark nods, equally distracted with readjusting the hat over his eyes. “Mind if I join you? I need to talk to Donghyuck about our Christmas plans.”

Renjun stares at him. “It’s November,” he deadpans. 

Mark doesn’t even flinch. “I know, but Donghyuck jumps from one holiday to another and so does my mom, so I need to make sure we’re on the same page.”

“Right,” Renjun drawls. “You two are weird.”

“You’re the one who’s dating him,” Mark shoots back and well, Renjun doesn’t really have anything to say about that.

Donghyuck’s faculty is one of the few that can’t actually be accessed through car, as it is further inside campus than the others, so Mark parks outside of the Med building and the two take off, following the signs that are so helpfully placed on the way. Just around the corner from the Education faculty, Renjun’s nose picks up Donghyuck’s scent. Mark’s nose starts twitching at the same time, and he most notice the same things Renjun does because his pace quickens and tension builds on his shoulders.

The scent, which is undoubtedly Donghyuck’s, is laced with fear, sadness and something that smells too much of desperation. It actually reeks of it, to the point where hot chocolate has sort of disappeared into the background. Renjun has never smelt anything like it and especially not on his boyfriend, so of course there’s nothing but worry coursing through Renjun’s veins at this point. Mark’s eyes zero in on something a few feet away from them, and his entire frame seizes up, coming into full alpha height within a second. Renjun follows his eyesight and wonders, briefly, how much time would they give him for beating three guys into a pulp. But the thought disappears quickly to be replaced with the instinctual need to protect his beta.

Donghyuck is there, surrounded by three different men, all alphas, all around their same age. Donghyuck is practically cowering under their gazes, standing three inches shorter than them and his metaphorical tail between his legs. It is so different to his usual attitude, so much so Renjun has a hard time wrapping his head around the sight and understand that yes, that’s _his_ Donghyuck, it isn’t some mirage of some sort. Renjun can’t help but think he looks pitiful, and immediately feels like shit for thinking it.

Mark is the first to snap out of his daze, taking purposeful strides towards them, ripping one of them out of the way in an instant. Mark’s alpha scent is overpowering Donghyuck’s, which helps Renjun break into action too. Renjun stands between Donghyuck and the bullies, blocking their view of the beta, ignoring Donghyuck’s surprised blabber of his and Mark’s names. Renjun doesn’t have time to explain their presence, nor the mind.

There’s an exchange of words between Mark and the bullies, which Renjun doesn’t pay much attention to, too busy doing his best to coat Donghyuck with his own scent in an attempt to distract him, but then the tallest of three says something that makes Renjun snap his head up.

“What, so it’s just you and the little omega? Dude, it’s three against one, give it up and get lost.”

“Who are you calling an omega?” Renjun demands. He momentarily forgets about protecting Donghyuck, takes a step forward with a menacing growl just dying to get out of his throat, but Donghyuck scrambles to grasp at his shirt, stuttering for him not to. 

The bullies look at each other in surprise for a second before bursting out into laughter. Mark eyes Renjun carefully, and Renjun can see the moment he stops worrying about having to fight the alphas and begins to worry about having to hold Renjun back from pummelling them to the ground. Renjun takes a deep breath to calm down; reminding himself he has to think about Donghyuck first, his pride second. But then, of course, the middle alpha opens his big mouth: “You’re telling me you’re not an omega? No way!” laughing all the while and Renjun sees red.

Yeah, Renjun isn’t holding back.

To be perfectly honest, Renjun was always taught that martial arts were not to be used for violence, but he thinks it’s times like these that the rule can be thrown out the window. Renjun loses control for only a minute, but it’s enough to get those alphas off their back. Mark at least looks impressed as he steps back to let them through, the three staggering away until they disappear around the corner.

They’re silent for a few seconds until Mark speaks up, “Let’s get you two out of here before Renjun gets arrested, okay?”

Renjun nods, turning around to look at Donghyuck. A part of him worried Donghyuck would be scared of him after his display of… well, let’s call it _alpha overprotectiveness over his mate,_ but the beta is just staring blankly at a random spot over Renjun’s shoulder, his hands shaking just lightly and his eyes round and shiny. Renjun has no idea what to make of that, and he wonder internally if it would be a good idea or not to reach out to him.

Mark makes the decision for him, very carefully holding Donghyuck’s hand and threading their fingers together, guiding the beta towards the general area of the parking lot. Donghyuck follows without much fuss, taking hesitant steps until he fully registers it’s just Mark and he gets a little closer, just enough so that Mark’s alpha scent will cover him up too. Renjun falls into step behind them, watching their interactions with interest. There’s something fascinating about the way they’ve managed to create a balance between them, after everything they’ve been through, and Renjun can’t find it in himself to feel anything but fondness at the sight.

Once in the car, Renjun sits in the backseat along with Donghyuck. His first instinct was to sit as close as possible to him, but Donghyuck scrambles back and presses himself to the door. After an awkward pause, Donghyuck murmurs, “Sorry, Injunnie. I just need some space right now.”

Selfishly, Renjun wants to know if Donghyuck would have said the same to Mark, but he realizes how childish that would have been and keeps his mouth shut. Instead, he nods and offers Donghyuck a reassuring smile as he says, “S’okay, Hyuck, whatever you need.”

Donghyuck grins back, albeit small and wobbly. Mark starts the engine in the meantime, fixes the temperature in the car and backs out slowly, driving with one hand on the wheel and the other on the headrest of the passenger’s seat. Donghyuck stays on his side of the backseat for the entire ride, but somewhere in the middle he reaches for Renjun’s hand to play with his fingers, his way of saying “sorry” and “thank you.” 

Renjun looks out the window when Mark parks again to find they’re at Mark’s house. “What are we doing here?” Renjun asks.

“This is closer than any of your places,” Mark shrugs. 

Donghyuck makes it to Mark’s room in record time, eager to surround himself with familiar smells. Renjun and Mark follow him at a slower pace, only to find him building a nest in the corner, using an assortment of blankets and clothes he found.

“Why is he doing that?” Mark whispers to Renjun, looking completely bewildered. 

“His grandmother was an omega,” Renjun explains to him, “and she used to comfort him when he was a kid by making nests. I guess it rubbed off on him.”

“Can one of you get over here already?” Donghyuck whines, his voice cracking towards the end. “Preferably both of you.”

There’s a lot of shuffling and rearranging of limbs, but eventually they settle down in a comfortable enough position. Donghyuck hides his face in Renjun’s neck, wrapping both arms around his middle and attaching himself to his boyfriend like a baby koala. Mark hovers next to them awkwardly until Donghyuck reaches back, takes hold of his hand and pulls it forward and over him, so Mark has no choice but to basically spoon him.

Renjun isn’t sure how long it is until Donghyuck falls asleep, but soon the beta is breathing deeply and steadily. Renjun and Mark look at each other over Donghyuck’s shoulder, equal expressions of relief and on their faces.

Mark frowns suddenly though. “How long do you think it’s been going on?”

“I don’t know,” Renjun sighs, rubbing the skin on Donghyuck’s nape distractedly. “Probably since the beginning of the semester.”

“God,” Mark huffs, “and he didn’t tell us?”

“You know how he is,” Renjun shrugs. “He thinks he can handle everything on his own.”

Mark hums, and the conversation dies then. The two lapse into comfortable silence until Renjun’s phone starts buzzing in his pocket, and the younger alpha rushes to pick it up. “It’s Jeno,” he explains, “He’s probably wondering where I am, I forgot we were gonna meet up - _fuck_ \- do you mind taking him?”

By that, he meant Donghyuck, who was growing restless in his sleep at the loss of warmth. Mark nods wordlessly, grabbing Donghyuck’s hands between his own and hushing him back to dreamland. As he leaves, the last thing Renjun sees is Donghyuck twisting around to burrow into Mark, and Mark petting his back sweetly. A bittersweet smile escapes him before he shuts the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wasn't planning to write this but so many people wanted a continuation i decided to give it to you! i'm not sure this is exactly what y'all wanted in the sense that there isn't angry alphas but just sweet understanding boyfriends?? idk pls enjoy either way!!

There’s a park near Donghyuck’s place they all like to go to. It’s an old thing, used to be full of life in their early childhood but now it’s just rusty monkey bars and a plastic sliding tube where homeless people sleep in to keep warm, the swings old and nearly falling apart. But Donghyuck still loves it, nonetheless. Because he’s got good memories of the place when they were kids. Jaemin had his birthday party here once and he got stung by a bee right on the inner corner of his eye, and it was so swollen Jaemin couldn’t open his eye for a week, and when Donghyuck was twelve he fell off the slide and lost a tooth – they may not sound like happy things, but Donghyuck remembers them so vividly, it’s nice to have these memories of so many years ago.

 

Donghyuck only agrees to meet them if it’s at the park. Even then, he’s accompanied by Mark, gripping tightly at the sleeve of the older boy’s sweater. When they approach the three alphas, whom are sat on top of the sliding tube, Mark tries to slip away only to get dragged back by Donghyuck. “You’re staying here,” he hisses at him.

 

“How’d you get Xuxi to let you come alone?” Jeno asks, genuinely curious. Everyone knows how overprotective Yukhei can get when it comes to his friends – it’s surprising he isn’t here to plot the possible maim of the alphas messing with Donghyuck.

 

“I threw Chenle and Jisung at him,” Mark shrugs.

 

“Almost literally,” Donghyuck adds, the ghost of a smile gracing his lips. “Do we really have to do this?” he nearly whines.

 

“Yes,” Jaemin huffs. Donghyuck blinks repeatedly at the tone, but while Jeno smacks Jaemin’s arm in retaliation, Donghyuck doesn’t say anything. “Sorry, but,” Jaemin sighs, scooting off the tube to step closer to Donghyuck, “babe. We really need to talk about this.”

 

“But. Why?” Donghyuck insists, wringing his hands together and disappearing under Mark’s scent. He already smells more of Mark than he does of himself, the scent calming and reassuring, because it feels like his best friend is right there to protect him even when they aren’t physically together.

 

“Well,” Mark starts, softly pushing Donghyuck in the direction of Jaemin’s arms, “I can think of a couple of reasons, but the most important one is that they’re your friends, before your boyfriends. You told me that, Hyuck-ah. So trust your friends and tell them the truth, yeah? They can help you.”

 

Donghyuck, who looks equal parts offended he was pushed away and understanding of Mark’s actions, sighs heavily and nods. Jaemin thanks Mark quietly and receives a tired smile in response before the oldest of them takes his leave, waving at them and disappearing from sight.

 

“You want to talk about how my life is shit right now?” Donghyuck mutters. “Fine.”

 

 

They all squeeze into the tree house, which is about three seconds away from crumbling under their weight according to Renjun’s calculations, but somehow stays in place even with four grown men sitting inside. Donghyuck, despite all the huffing and puffing he has been doing the past ten minutes, crawls into Jeno’s lap the second he gets the chance, propping his socketed feet on Jaemin’s lap. Renjun makes him move them though, if only to sit between the two broader alphas and then lets Donghyuck resume his previous position, leaving Donghyuck sprawled across all three of them. 

 

It’s so comforting and familiar and _safe_ \- Donghyuck cries. He's bawling into his hands, uncontrollable sobs wrecking his body. He's crying for so many reasons, he can't pinpoint just one. He's crying because he's exhausted; he's crying because he doesn't understand what could make some assholes hate him so much; he's crying because he's felt so alone since he started university and now, surrounded by the scents of his boyfriends as well as Mark's, he realizes just how much he's missed them. 

 

His boyfriends seem to be at a loss, but they let him cry it out. Jeno pats his back softly; lets Donghyuck cling to his shirt and soak his jacket, uncaring of the snot that's undoubtedly landing on him. Renjun and Jaemin, albeit a little further away, pet his calves and legs, murmuring mindless sweet things in hopes it'll help soothe him. Donghyuck cries for some good minutes, but eventually he tires and runs out of tears to shed. When he's done, he remains cuddled up to Jeno, sniffling quietly.

 

"Baby," Jaemin coos, reaching out to take one of Donghyuck's hands in his. "I'm sorry, Hyuck."

 

"Why?" Donghyuck croaks, peering at Jaemin with red eyes. Renjun makes a sound like he's been punched in the throat. "Why are you sorry?"

 

"I feel like it's my fault," Jaemin admits, his voice barely above a whisper. "I should have done something sooner. Maybe if I'd come by your house before - tried to be a better boyfriend -"

 

"No," Donghyuck interrupts him firmly. "Jaem, this isn't your fault at all. You're the best boyfriend in the world, I swear, and you're so sweet - I don't deserve you. If anything it's my fault. I should have been stronger, I should have -"

 

"Let's," Jeno steps in before Donghyuck can dissolve into a self-reprimanding rant, "agree, that this is none of ours fault. Yeah? If anyone is to blame are those guys."

 

At the reminder, Renjun bristles and his knuckles ache in reminder of that day. Donghyuck notices the way he curls into himself and crawls out of Jeno's lap to settle next to Renjun, positioned so he's slightly facing the alpha. "Renjun," he starts, "Renjunnie. Please look at me. I'm sorry you had to do that - no, listen to me. I know you hate fights and that you hate getting physical. Thank you for having my back and I'm sorry you had to go to those lengths. Please stop beating yourself up over it, okay? They left me alone thanks to you."

 

"They did?" Renjun asks, hopeful eyes betraying him. Donghyuck nods, offering him a tiny smile. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?" Renjun squints. 

 

"No," Donghyuck shakes his head, giggling when Renjun lunges forward as if to sniff his neck to see if he's lying. "I promise. You can ask Mark hyung, he's been treating me like a child that needs babysitting."

 

Mark has refused to leave Donghyuck alone, driving him to Uni every morning and picking him up in the afternoons, even going as far as to walk him to class. He's also been scenting him, but only enough to keep other people away. Mark doesn't want to deal with three angry alphas going after him for scenting their beta.

 

"Someone has to," Jaemin says. Donghyuck blushes under the gaze Jaemin gives him, rather intense and overwhelming in the sheer affection. "Can you tell us what happened?"

 

Donghyuck takes a deep breath and tries to find a point in time to start. Honestly, he doesn't know when things began to go bad - maybe in the last few weeks before they started university, when Donghyuck finally realized he wouldn't be seeing them as often. Maybe it was on the first day, when Donghyuck was so terrified he didn't dare talk to anyone. He never told any of them this, but it took Donghyuck some sweet time to work up the nerve and approach his classmate under any other circumstance that wasn't strictly school-related. Maybe it was when he rejected that Byungho guy, and the alpha didn't take it well.

 

He voices all the possibilities to them. He talks a little about the friends he's made, about how he even has classes with Chaewon, much to both of their surprises, but he's relied on their common background to stick to her. He doesn't go into too much depth about the bullying - it takes a lot out of him to even utter the word - but he shares enough for them to understand. Donghyuck is proud of himself for not crying even after he's done. 

 

"I can't believe those assholes were treating you like shit because you wouldn't go out with one of them," Renjun seethes. He feels absolute indignation for his boyfriend, his boyfriend who's too sweet to be dealing with all of this. They all know Donghyuck has a loud mouth and a sharp tongue, but most of the time he's all bark and no bite. Like Renjun - or as Renjun is on a regular basis, at least. "That's so fucking primitive. Honestly, who raised them?"

 

Donghyuck can't help but giggle at how bewildered Renjun sounds. None of them is used to dealing with these kinds of alphas, as they have been around the same group of people their whole lives. Perhaps, Donghyuck realizes, this can be a good thing. Now he knows that he won't be accepted everywhere he goes - just how Renjun and Jeno have to deal with the stereotype of what an alpha should look and act as everywhere they go, Donghyuck will have to learn to live with alphas who expect him to fall to his knees for them. Maybe he doesn't have to accept it, but he will learn how and when to pick his battles.

 

He tells them so, and Jeno suddenly breaks into a huge grin and says, pride palpable in his voice, "Our Donghyuckie is so smart, isn't he?"

 

Donghyuck blushes to his neck. He'd forgotten how flustered he could get with these three around. "You're a menace," he mumbles. Jeno blows him a kiss. Jaemin senses the change in the atmosphere and grins saccharine sweet, "Happy time now? You know I hate serious conversations."

 

"You were the one forcing me to have this serious conversation in the first place," Donghyuck pouts, but he goes willingly when Jaemin spreads his arms invitingly. "You're lucky you're cute."

 

Jaemin squeezes the life out of him, squealing about having missed his little Duckie so much lately and absolutely refuses to let Renjun or Jeno anywhere near him for some good ten minutes. In the meantime, as Jaemin coddles Donghyuck and kisses him and is all around an overbearing boyfriend, Jeno manhandles Renjun into cuddling with him, accepts being the little spoon as long as Renjun doesn't reject his affection.

 

"When have I ever rejected your affection?" Renjun mumbles disbelievingly, grunting when Jeno accidentally elbows him a little too close to his groin. "Be careful," he warns. Jeno apologizes sheepishly and says, 

 

"You always used to reject my affection when we started going out," his voice sounds a little sadder than he meant to, and his eyes widen when Renjun starts smelling of guilt. "That's alright, Injunnie, we're good now!" He brushes Renjun's bangs away from his face, even though they're back to chest on the - dirty - floor of the treehouse, Renjun more or less sitting up with his back against the wall and Jeno basically lying on the floor and he has to twist his arm at an awkward angle to do so. 

 

Renjun ducks his head down so he's closer to Jeno's face and kisses his cheek tenderly, whispering, "I love you, Jeno-yah," with as much emotion as he possibly can. Jeno lights up like a little kid in a candy store and he wiggles up to kiss him correctly, their lips slotting together lazily. Don't tell the others, but Jeno's favourite to kiss is Renjun. "I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ my twitter](https://twitter.com/doitsushine92) if you wanna witness the mess that is my life
> 
>  
> 
> [ my cc](https://curiouscat.me/doitsushine92)  
>  if you wanna talk to me or leave me any hc or ideas for fics!!

**Author's Note:**

> so many of you wanted me to write a fic where hyuck gets bullied and the others help him, which makes me question how much y'all really love him tbh, and while this doesn't exactly fulfill everything you guys asked, this is what i could do. i should be studying for a test tomorrow but here i am.


End file.
